Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The prioritisation of the skills industry needs and those our citizens seek is a key focus for my Department. Our responsiveness to the requirements of enterprise is couched in key policy initiatives such as the Action Plan for Apprenticeship, Green Skills for FET Roadmap, National Digital Strategy, Harnessing Digital, the Human Capital Initiative and Springboard +, the establishment of the National Tertiary Office, and our work to deliver more flexible learning options for example through the microcredentials project. All of this work is carried out in partnership with enterprise and is informed by the workforce development agenda led by Skillnet Ireland.

For our citizens, the tertiary education system plays a central role in ensuring that our graduates from higher education, further education and training and from apprenticeship are equipped with the cognitive skills, the essential transversal skills, and the vocational and professional skills and competencies which will equip them for success in work and society.

However, against the backdrop of the accelerating and intensifying digital and green transitions, it is essential that our skills ecosystem has the agility and flexibility to adapt to changing priorities in the skills and workforce development landscape. In this context, key themes of the OECD Review of Ireland's National Skills Strategy published last May were the need to secure a balance in skills through a responsive, diversified supply of skills in Ireland; and how we can encourage adult participation in learning as part of achieving that balance.

While Ireland is a strong performer in skills, we know we need to do more, and the comprehensive roadmap provided by the OECD Review provides a strong basis for ensuring that we get skills policies right, ensuring societal well-being and sustainable growth in Ireland for the future. In light of that, together with a refreshed National Skills Council, I will consider how best to respond to the full recommendations of the OECD Review, and whether a national training voucher scheme might have a place in that response.